A flood of renewable energy projects are hitting the RVA region. What does it mean for households in the region? And is it enough to satiate our soaring energy demands? A listener asks Rich: am I being gaslit by these door knockers? After a canvasser says a “no soliciting sign” doesn’t apply to them, one listener is stumped about how to tell people to bug-off. If TV taught us anything, it’s that when something bad happens, the only thing to do is put on a show. Tariq Karriem, a local Henrico high school graduate, took this to heart after feeling students of color were being left out of local theatre productions. So he and others started their own theatre group, the Black Virginia Theatre Alliance.

In his very first sit-down interview since his win, mayor-elect Danny Avula joins Rich to discuss what Richmonders can expect from his administration. What are his top priorities and how will he start to tackle them? How will he bring more people into the political process? And how will he advocate for the city on both the State and Federal level?

Our series “Who’s Got Your Vote?” takes you inside Richmond’s race for mayor. Rich talks with each candidate to bring you closer to the issues and faces that want to shape the future of Richmond. For our final week of our series, Rich talks with Andreas Addison, the current Richmond City Council representative for the first district. Hear how his tutelage under Governor Wilder and Mayor Dwight Jones opened his eyes to what public leaders can accomplish, why the “karass” is an integral part of his political outlook, and how he plans to bring City Hall’s technology up to speed.

Our series “Who’s Got Your Vote?” takes you inside Richmond’s race for mayor. Rich talks with each candidate to bring you closer to the issues and faces that want to shape the future of Richmond. This week Rich talks with Danny Avula, a pediatrician who was also recently the state commissioner for the Virginia Department of Social Services. He says the connections he formed while overseeing the state’s COVID rollout can help in amassing more financial support for the city and maintains his support for LGBTQ and abortion rights, despite support from prominent social conservatives in Richmond.

Our series “Who’s Got Your Vote?” takes you inside Richmond’s race for mayor. Rich talks with each candidate to bring you closer to the issues and faces that want to shape the future of Richmond. This week Rich talks with Michelle Mosby, Richmond City Council’s first Black female president. She says she won’t need training wheels to tackle the mayor’s job. She also tells us how her past bouts with bankruptcy inform her financial views, and what she’ll do to establish stronger oversight when it comes to dysfunction in City Hall.

Our series “Who’s Got Your Vote?” takes you inside Richmond’s race for mayor. Rich talks with each candidate to bring you closer to the issues and faces that want to shape the future of Richmond. This week Rich talks with Maurice Neblett, an entrepreneur and community leader in the city. Hear what being “a true son of Richmond” means to him, how he says a non-political background gives him an edge in the race, and why transparency and accountability mean so much to his campaign.

Our series “Who’s Got Your Vote?” takes you inside Richmond’s race for mayor. Rich talks with each candidate to bring you closer to the issues and faces that want to shape the future of Richmond. We kick off the series with Harrison Roday, a leader in the nonprofit and industrial manufacturing space. He says his “get things done” attitude, experience in politics under Senator Tim Kaine and how his aptitude for budgeting and finance sets him apart from the other candidates.

There are 18 candidates running for Richmond City Council this November, but Rich has just one question for this week’s guests: what’s the job of a city council member actually like? For an honest answer, he brings in former council president, Mike Jones, and current council president, Kristen Nye. This week, RVA’s Got Questions… about who RUNS for city council. With only 6 of 9 seats having a competitive race – why aren’t more people trying to grab a spot? Finally, if you live in the Northside of Richmond, chances are Don Polaski has knocked on your door. He spends his Saturdays going door-to-door as the “Happy Canvasser.” Rich wants to know what knocking on all those doors has taught him about democracy.

It’s Rich’s FAVORITE time of year, local election season. But what makes this year different? A plan to end dysfunction on the Richmond Public School board. Next up: the little-known quirk that determines how Richmond elects its mayor. One listener wants to know how voting actually works in RVA, and whether we’ll catch the ranked-choice bug. Rich wraps things up with his election heartthrob, the Virginia Public Access Project. This free, non-partisan website is a go-to resource for anyone trying to understand elections in Virginia. And this year, K-12 students are invited to the party.

The James River is the heart and soul of Richmond. But it’s also the dumping ground for the city’s sewage when it rains too much. What will it take to fix this issue? One frustrated listener asks us: why is it so hard to open a business in Richmond? Rich runs through the litany of applications you need to complete to set up shop in RVA. But it’s not as bad as you might think. The Broadberry Entertainment Group is neither street nor berry. Rather, it plays a major role in booking up and coming talent in Richmond’s local music scene. Owner Lucas Fritz joins us to talk about what he looks for in a musical act, and where he thinks the region’s scene is headed.

Climate change is here, in RVA, today. But some neighborhoods are much more vulnerable to excessive heat and flooding than others. Rich talks with a local climate scientist about inequities in our climate vulnerability, as well as the city’s plan to address them. Everyone seems to have a DOT these days. That is, a department of transportation. But why isn’t there one in Richmond, and is that necessarily a bad thing? Richmond has a lot going for it. Should it add regional tech hub to that list? Richard Wintsch of Startup Virginia says yes. In fact, he’s actively courting entrepreneurs to the River City to, in his words, prevent us from falling behind.

What would YOU do if you controlled how your government spends its money? Richmond City Council is doing exactly that as part of a new $3 million public budget. Outgoing council president Kristen Nye talks about how this works… and whether it’s here to stay. This week’s listener question: How do you dispose of guns? The answer is easier than you may think. Finally, our community spotlight is about… SPAGHETTI. We’ll talk to an activist and mom who fights cystic fibrosis by reaching people’s hearts… and stomachs.

It usually takes two to tango, but only one artistic director leads the Richmond Ballet. For the first time in over 40 years, the official ballet for the state of Virginia is coming under new leadership. What does this mean for the future of the region’s cultural institution? Laters, a listener asks Rich. “what happened to all those anti-litter campaigns we use to see on TV? Is this something RVA still cares about?” Finally, law enforcement keeps an eye out for RVA’s safety. But who keeps watch on the watchmen? After an impactful encounter with police in 2020, Alice Minium has made it her mission to be that watchdog.

Four elementary schools in Richmond are reopening in July for the start of their extended school year. This “grand experiment” aims to reverse COVID-related learning loss in struggling schools. But will keeping kids (and their teachers) in a classroom fuel burnout? One thing you WON’T find in RVA is a major league sports team. A listener asks, what would it take to change that? Anyone can be a ballerina according to Susan Massey. This week’s community spotlight looks at her adult ballet class that’s included everyone from doctors, college students, and yes, truck drivers.

What do an attempted coup in Cuba and secrets from the Vietnam War have in common? Both led to the creation of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), allowing people to access public documents to hold the government accountable. However, it doesn’t always work that way, as two Richmond women recently discovered when they tested the state’s public record laws. Food insecurity is rising in Central VA, with demand for food pantry items increasing as grocery store prices soar. This week’s Community Spotlight features Änna Ibrahim from Shalom Farms, a non-profit working to increase access to fresh produce and teach how to cook with these ingredients. Finally, for RVA’s Got Questions: What is a board of supervisors, and what do they do?